Roman Polanski may not have to serve any jail time in the US for the statutory rape he confessed to in 1977. (Getty Images)

(Newser)
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The California court that rejected Roman Polanski's request to dismiss his case because of judicial misconduct yesterday outlined a way for the case to be resolved without the director being extradited to the US, the Los Angeles Times reports. The three-justice panel recommended that the director be sentenced in absentia, with allegations of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct taken into account.

"We are confident that the trial court could fashion a legal sentence that results in no further incarceration for Polanski," the justices wrote. The recommendation is "a pretty darn good solution for Polanski," said one legal expert surprised at the unusually hands-on approach from the court. "This could all go away and we would all kinda scratch our heads and wonder what has taken 30 years."

The message is that the judicial system and the criminal justice system have more important things to be concerned with. Even the victim just wants closure through having the case dismissed. The original plea bargain agreement (which the State of California apparently reneged on) called for Polanski to be sentenced to "time served" and to be released on probation.

vendetta

Dec 22, 2009 12:56 PM CST

Yep, they have been bending over backwards for this child molester. Did you see his posh ski cabin that he was living in for house. Wow.

EileenRocks

Dec 22, 2009 12:44 PM CST

Really? Skate off for 30 years for a serious offense, and it's just no big deal? What kinda message does that send?